What is the inspiration for the Leman Russ Tank?

[Lucky]

What tank do you think was the inspiration for the Leman Russ and other tanks in 40K?

WW1 tanks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanks_in_World_War_I

Inter War Tanks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanks_of_t ... war_period

WW2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanks_in_World_War_II

[General Donner]

It's a number of different designs mashed together, really. As a rule, however, none of them is later than early WWII. (Though the turret on some models can appear more modern than that.)

What I personally think of the Russ as is a mixture between a Char B and one of the classical, rhomboid British WWI tanks. Though it might be better to consider it simply one of those latter ones with a turret added. The Char is rather different in many particulars; what I'm influenced by is mostly the weapons configuration.

Of course, some details on the Russ are also just made up without any obvious RL reference. The bore of the main gun, for example, is quite grotesque on the physical models, and only marginally less so in much of the artwork. (In the fluff, I believe it's supposed to be a 120mm smoothbore, but that really doesn't show.)

[Mr. Oragahn]

Mostly WWI to early interwar, with minimal borrowing WWII. I think the idea was to stay very clear of typical mid to late WWII tanks, really, safe perhaps for the T-xx soviet tank turret.


I'm not too sure about the B1 but for the nested gun at the front.
However, like two months ago, I stumbled upon a 40K fan's page of custom made B1-inspired IG tanks. It was very well done.

Now, trying to find that damn page again, I found another one, and I see some people had fun with a B1 model.
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/po ... 29805.page

Baneblade turret was quite overdone on that chassis, so Dhugs made a modification and found a more appropriate piece. It really looked ace.
There's quite something truly awesome to the wreck of that B1. It's almost medieval in aspect. It's almost asking for an excuse to have two paired giant saw-wheels mounted at the front of that monster.
The Char-B has quite a f***ton of potential as a lost STC stylized IG tank.
Check out this file. Add some sponsons are you're done.

EDIT: can't find the damned custom IG tank but here's one that on topic.

[Kor_Dahar_Master]

M4A2 is similar to it.

[Mr. Oragahn]

We can see some Forge World models. There's some variation in the inspiration.